New York, 13 September 2026 (Kamran Raja): Elena Rybakina defeated defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in the US Open final on Saturday to claim her third Grand Slam title and complete her rise to world number one. Rybakina, who was already assured of replacing Sabalenka at the top of the rankings after reaching the semi-finals, denied the Belarusian a third consecutive US Open crown and ended her 20-match winning streak at Flushing Meadows. Rybakina won her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2022 before defeating Sabalenka in the Australian Open final in January to secure her second major. The 27-year-old Kazakh controlled the opening set with powerful groundstrokes and converted three of 12 break-point opportunities to take it 6-4. Sabalenka fought back strongly in the second set, holding her serve under pressure before breaking Rybakina in the final game to level the match at one set apiece. However, Rybakina responded emphatically in the decider, securing an early break and maintaining her aggressive approach to move within reach of victory. Despite two late double faults while serving for the championship, she sealed the title with an ace. Sabalenka, who had won the US Open in 2024 and 2025, was attempting to become only the third woman after Chris Evert and Serena Williams to win the tournament three years in a row. Rybakina said she was extremely happy and proud of her achievement, while Sabalenka acknowledged that her opponent had played the better tennis on the day. The victory marks another major milestone in Rybakina’s career as she prepares to take over the world number one ranking.